Product description

Superb, detailed reconstructions of buildings provide the starting-point for a vivid exploration of these two great cities and the lives of the people who inhabited them. Peter Connolly's illustrations and reconstructions have a unique authority, with their blend of superb draughtsmanship, imagination, and meticulous research. The text appeals to a wide spectrum of readers, from young adults to professional historians.

Author information

Peter Connolly is one of the foremost writers and illustrators on the subject of the ancient world. He is an Honorary Research Fellow of the Institute of Archaeology, London, and has studied at the British School in Athens and in Rome. Co-author Hazel Dodge is a scholar of international reputation, known for her publications on Roman architecture and construction.

Review quote

Peter Connolly's eminent reputation as an archaeological illustrator can only be enhanced by this superb book... he has made two great civilisations come alive on the page. TES

Editorial reviews

Strewn with minutely detailed cityscapes, cutaway views, and interiors, this hefty urban study recaptures the architectural glories of two great cities in their heydays, with as much specific information as assignment-driven readers or browsers could want. In a substantial text providing plenty of historical background, aided by a blizzard of sharp, full-color photos of artifacts and classical art, Connolly (Pompeii, 1990) and Dodge examine both cities' major and minor buildings, from Bronze Age remnants through the aftermath of the Persian War (for Athens) and the great fire of A.D. 64. (for Rome), also describing government, legal systems, religious ceremonies, theater and other public amusements, fashion, daily life for people of all classes, food, water, and waste disposal. More debatable or speculative reconstructions are noted as such. Equally suited to casual readers or serious study, this takes a giant step past the Eyewitness-filled cheap seats and even beyond David Macaulay territory. (Kirkus Reviews)

Table of contents

PART I: ATHENS ; 1. The Golden Years - Athens in the fifth century BC ; 2. The Keys to Survival - The city's defences, and food and water supplies ; 3. The Cradle of Democracy - The workings of the world's first democracy ; 4. Daily Life - Life in fifth-century BC Athens ; 5. Work - Earning a living in Athens ; 6. The Houses of Athens - Athenian domestic architecture ; 7. Temples for the Gods - Athenian religious buildings ; 8. A Festival for Athena - Celebrations and sports for Athena's birthday ; 9. The Theatre - Athenian drama: the world's first plays ; PART II: ROME ; 1. The Site of Rome - Rome before the Empire ; 2. The Imperial City - The transformation of Rome during the reign of Augustus ; 3. Government - Roman law and the civil service ; 4. Food and Water - Aqueducts and the ports of Rome ; 5. Houses and Apartments - Roman houses for rich and poor ; 6. Daily Life - Life in Rome in the first and second centuries AD ; 7. Shops, Bars and Restaurants - Commercial activity in Rome ; 8. Many Gods - Religion and worship ; 9. A Day at the Races - Chariot racing at the Circus Maximus ; 10. The Theatre - Farce, parody and other aspects of Roman drama ; 11. The Colosseum - Gladiatorial games at Rome's arena complex ; 12. A New Palace - The great palace complex of Domitian ; 13. The Age of Apollodorus - The golden age of Roman architecture under Trajan's chief architect ; 14. The Great Baths - Roman imperial thermae (heated baths) ; 15. The City in Late Antiquity - Rome after the time of Hadrian